Child poverty doco maker gets behind health cuts fight

A “ME, ME, ME” society is pushing filmmaker Bryan Bruce to make a documentary looking at inequality in New Zealand.

The Inside Child Poverty documentary maker told people via Skype at a public forum, above, that the film will be about the increasing gap between rich and poor.

“Do we want to continue with a ‘me, me, me’ society? Or do we all want a chance to do the best we can?” says Mr Bruce, whose poverty documentary caused controversy during last year’s New Zealand parliamentary elections.

Mr Bruce, who grew up in a slum in Edinburgh where his family suffered from health problems, believes better housing would fix half of New Zealand’s health problems and if NZ allows inequality to breed everyone becomes worse off.

The forum, organised by United Community Action Network, attracted 30 people who discussed health, housing and economics and a national referendum.

Support was shown from community health providers at the forum for a nationwide campaign the network is putting together to force a referendum to stop health cuts.

Funding health is important to addressing inequality and funding for people in need is decreasing, says Justine Thorpe, chief executive of Well Health, a Wellington Primary Health Organisation (PHO).